


Science Meets Life (Working Title)

by Melhrain



Category: Undertale (Video Game), underswap
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), F/F, F/M, Frisk had a sibling, Gaster is Papyrus and Sans' brother, Gaster what the fuck, Here we go, I'll try to keep this light hearted, Mages, Science, at all costs, but no promises, idk - Freeform, mature for science and experiment shit, maybe other universes?, must protect Goldy, oh boy, pacifist run, past genocide run
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2020-10-21 13:03:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20693978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melhrain/pseuds/Melhrain
Summary: Ages ago, before Chara, there was Frisk. But Frisk didn't come alone.Now, the barrier is broken, and Chara is acting strange. Curious and wary, Papyrus follows the teen into Hotland and discovers a secret Gaster had taken with him to the Void.With the Barrier broken and Mages showing up on the mountain, none of the Monsters know what to expect from humanity anymore. And humanity definitely had no plans for the Monsters.





	1. A little test

**Author's Note:**

> So, first posted fic in 15 years *laughs nervously* 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> ~Mel

_“Hey Chara, it's okay. I understand you can't save me. But please. Please, save her.”_

\---------------

Five Resets.

Five Resets in a row with no changes.

Every time, the kid makes it to the end, they run off before the other monsters can make it out of the cave exit, and anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours later he's waking up three days in the past and doing it all over again. He was so confused, not quite sure what was going on in the kid's head. So he was following them.

His confusion only grew as the kid vanished into the Lab, not sure what the redhead could want from there. The amalgamates had already been let out to join their family, so what else could Chara need from there? He had just **_skipped_** to the Lab door when it slid open and Chara came pelting out, slamming straight into him. The child swore, and his brow went up in surprise. He didn't realize the kid even _knew_ that word.

“Papy! Papy! Come quick, you can save her!” Chara yelled, hands wrapped around his arm and nearly yanking the socket out.

“Jeez, kid! Slow down a little, where’s the fire?”

“We have to hurry or I’ll have to do it all over _again!_” This instantly caught his attention, steps lengthening while he scooped them up onto his shoulder. One hand bracing the preteen, he headed straight for the elevator, ducking low to avoid Chara hitting their head. As the elevator doors closed and they waited for it to descend, Papyrus could feel small fingers tapping against the side of his head where Chara was holding on.

“Alright, kid,” he started, poking them in the leg. “What’s going on? Who is ‘she’?”

“...” The pause in response was almost enough to have him hitting the stop button, if not for the quickening taps of Chara’s fingers, something he’d come to recognize as their thinking habit. “....the last time I went bad….Frisk talked to me, in the dark space.” He felt his eye lights go out, mind rapidly running through the last Reset before the repeats. By comparison, it wasn’t the worst one they had gone through. Except it was.

Sans died during that one.

The dinging of the elevator brought him back to the present, Chara pushing off from his shoulder in a practiced leap. They hit the ground running, stumbling the landing enough to make him grit his teeth before they took off, sneakers squeaking loudly on the stone. He had so many questions already, (Dark place? Frisk? Who?) but all he could do is hurry after the teen, long strides barely managing to catch up to them before they ran through the main door. His uncertainty grew as they ran past the beds in the main room, and spiked when they kept running without pause, straight into the wall.

He skidded to a stop inches from the wall, eyes wide as he stared at where Chara had been. ‘Had’ being the operative word.

A pale hand shooting out from the wall made him jump as it latched onto him and dragged him through the mirage. He barely had time to realize that they were now in a secondary lab he had definitely never seen before (how was that even possible, he used to practically live here, _how long has it been here_), and it still took him a second to realize what was against the wall, the thing that Chara had run too.

It was a capsule filled with what looked like purple magic, if magic had somehow been turned into a liquid. In it were wires, so many wires, twisting and interlocking with each other, but all terminating in the same place. Inside a human. At least, he thought it was a human. It certainly looked like one, older than Chara, so probably an adult. Wires hooked into every limb and large sensors were on their bald head, their body supported by a metal stretcher in the liquid. The machine sitting beside the tube was still functioning, and he found himself by its side without thought. He only needed one look at the screen before he understood, and swore viciously under his breath.

The screen was a constant stream of numbers and letters, all in a language he understood even if he was rusty. It had been decades since he had last seen this language written out by anything other than his own hand, the few times he practiced so he would never forget it. After all, it had taken months of trial and error to create it, he would never do the disservice of letting it be completely forgotten.

“Papy! You need to get her out! If she stays in for too long, she doesn’t make it,” Chara insisted, yanking on his sleeve once more. “It can finally be over, Papy, but it needs to happen **now**.”

“You and I,” He started, fingers already tapping against the screen rapidly, “are going to have a very long talk once this is over.”

Chara groaned exaggeratedly. “I know, but later!” Chara was tapping their heel wildly, and a quick glance showed the teen was chewing on one of their nails nervously.

Focusing back on the machine, he read the codes as he flew through the information, fingers tapping noisily in the otherwise silent room. A loud _click_ sounded as the liquid began to drain, revealing the nearly translucent, pale skin of the human, obviously starved of light for far too long. A few more clicks and the tube enclosing the body slid up, exposing the body to the stale air of the lab. The machine instantly began to go haywire, which he could recognize as body functions going crazy.

“This is the part where you save her,” Chara said, voice quivering. He didn’t have time to be confused, as what appeared next on the screen was a final lock screen. It was for a handprint, joints bony and fingers much longer than normal monsters. Instantly he understood, and without hesitation placed his own bony palm against it.

There was a loud hissing sound as wires disconnected, long needles being pulled from the major muscles of each limb, sensors lifting away from the thin skin of the skull. The machine he had been working on shut off with the high pitched whine of overworked machinery, and he couldn’t exactly blame it. If this was what he thought it was, it had been working for far longer than it had been designed for. Chara was already at the side of the human, hands shaking as they gently reached out and lifted the hand that looked far too delicate.

The entire body was much too thin for his liking, blue lines showing under the skin that shone sickly in the sterile light. The human's face was sharp, skin tight against the skull, eyes sunken in. He stepped closer, hesitant.

“Papy….” Chara whispered, eyes locked on the hand they were gently cradling between their own. He stepped closer to get a better look and felt a chill down to his bones.

The center of the palm was bone.

A perfect, circular section of bone, the skin healed around it and slightly pulled away with scar tissue, as if it had been forced to meld. Stepping to the side, he picked up the other hand, already spotting an identical bone insert in the center of the hand. He had seen a wound similar to this once, a very long time ago. Well the reverse of it, anyway.

“Gaster….” The word left his mouth before he could stop it, pointedly ignoring Chara whipping their head around to stare at him. “What the fuck did you do?”


	2. Chapter 2

They were floating. They had floated for so long, mind wandering, circling around itself. The word madness sometimes appeared, and eventually, they wondered what it meant as well. Many words floated through their mind, some they knew, some they heard the Doctor say while they floated. But then there was silence. So much silence. And all they knew was their own thoughts. 

They were never quite asleep, but never awake, they thought. The wires would send shock waves into them (_ “to stimulate the muscles, so you can walk with us at the end” _) that would keep them awake, but the floating kept them asleep. 

So much silence, for so very long. Sometimes they thought they could hear the little voice of their precious Frisk, whispering promises of seeing the outside world again. Of being together again. They survived through those whispers, little hooks to hang on to. 

And then another voice appeared, louder and stronger but so so similar to Frisks, they couldn’t help but float a little closer to the surface. The voice went away for a little while, but it always came back. And sometimes, things would change. 

They remembered their heart racing, their lungs gasping and retching out the liquid they lived in. And then they remembered things going dark. But they’d still wake up again, still in the tank, still floating and hearing Frisk’s whispers. And the new voice would reappear, and it would happen all over again. 

Once they thought they recognized a softer voice, one they had always heard from a distance. But it didn’t last long, the darkness coming quickly and going away again. 

So they stayed, and they floated. And then another voice appeared, deep and rumbling, and so much like the Doctor, they could feel themselves rising to the surface instinctively. 

They felt the liquid drain away, felt the air touch their skin for the first time in they didn’t know how long. And then they felt the pain again, their heart racing and their lungs trying to breathe through the liquid inside them. And then it stopped. This time, they could feel the needles leaving their skin, the shocks ending. They felt their body begin to tremble, small shivers beginning under their skin. 

And then, for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, they felt someone touch their hand. 

Words were whispered but they couldn’t understand, the sounds bouncing off their ears as the body began to reactivate. Instinctively, they felt their stomach rebel as they began coughing, liquid dripping out of their mouth until it was coming out with each wracking cough. The sounds grew louder and hurt their ears, pulling away from the sound in a flinch that hurt every muscle inside them. 

Time passed and eventually, the coughing stopped, the liquid running down their body onto the floor. The hands holding their own had never disappeared, a constant support as their body turned against itself in reaction to the environment. 

Slowly sounds began to make sense as they laid there, skin growing colder, breath labored, throat burning from coughing out so much. 

“....kay, don’t worry, you’ll be okay now. We got you out, You’ll be okay.” The familiar-but-not voice of a child was soft as they repeated the words. 

Words. It had been so long since they had to form words. How did it happen again? 

“C...cld.” The hands holding theirs tightened almost painfully at the nonsensical sounds, nerves unaccustomed to such stimulation, but they welcomed the change. They hadn’t realized how much they had missed it. 

“Don’t strain yourself, kid. You haven’t had to do much for a pretty long time.” That voice. They knew that voice, they thought they did at least, it seemed so similar to the Doctor. But it had been so long. How long had it been?

What was time again?

“Cld,” the same sound, they couldn’t seem to wrap their head around how to say it. Or what it meant. It was something important though. 

“Papy, I think they’re cold,” the child said, the sentence completing their thoughts. Yes, cold. Cold was something felt, something they hadn’t felt in so, so long. 

Something brushed against them, and they flinched again, nerves lighting up in sensation. They felt it again, something soft that was being placed gently on their shoulders, and they felt their skin change. 

Warm. Was this warm? They thought it was warm.

Warm was nice.

____________

Papyrus wasn’t sure what to think. This was a human, that had been in a machine for so long he couldn’t even pinpoint when it could have begun. It had been….god, it had been _centuries_ since Gaster vanished, and almost everyone’s memories of him with him. He had stopped keeping track of the years, it was too painful, and now he regretted that. 

Outside of the liquid, he could clearly see the damage that had been done to the poor human. They were paler than his bones and nearly as thin as him. They’re arms and legs seemed to still have some muscle on them, Gaster must have been stimulating the muscles continuously to make sure they stayed active. Remembering the long needles that came out, he glanced at the arm closest to him and wasn’t surprised to see a tiny pinprick of blood hovering on the skin. 

The scientist in him wanted to examine the human further, to discover what Gaster had been attempting. The big brother in him wanted to take the poor thing and put them in a bed, coaxing them back to health first. 

The big brother won. 

“Hey, hun.” He said, stepping closer slowly, watching closely for any reaction. To his surprise, their eyes slowly opened just a slit, purple light glowing softly from the left one. He felt a twinge in his soul at the shade, tears pooling in his sockets without warning. 

“Papy?”

Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he shoved back the rest of the tears. Reaching out, he gently touched the humans face, phalanges grazing the pale, thin skin of their cheek. The eyes opened a little more, the light getting stronger until they were staring at him.

“Papy...what’s wrong with their eye?” Chara whispered. 

The left was slowly fading, light not as strong. The right however...the right was a faded white, gaze unfocused and glazed. He had never seen anything like that, he hadn’t exactly met many humans just yet, but he knew that it was somehow wrong. 

“Dc...tr…” The syllables sounded like they were torn from the human’s throat, the purple eye locked on him weakly. Papyrus felt his tears trying to come back and slowly shook his head. 

“I’m not your doctor, sweetheart. The doctor has been gone for a long time.” He said sadly, breathing in raggedly. They opened their mouth to attempt to speak again but was stopped by Papyrus’s hand covering it. “You just rest honey, we’ll get you out of here.”

Careful not to knock his jacket off of them, he very slowly wrapped an arm around their shoulders, the other arm going under their knees. Once he was sure he had a good grip, he lifted them, still surprised at how little they weighed despite the evidence. 

Pulling them close to his chest, he felt the small movements they attempted to make, trying to move their head up. Chara immediately helped, pushing the humans head up from it’s hanging position until it was cradled against his shoulder. Chara took a moment to arrange the jacket again, doing their best to cover as much of the human as they could with the fabric. 

The trip out of the lab was much slower than their entrance, keeping his movements as smooth as possible to not jostle the human. Chara walked in silence beside him, slowing their own stride to match his. The idea to _ skip _ was tempting, it was quite a walk back to the barrier exit, but one glance at the shallow breathing barely lifting the human's chest had him reconsidering. Right now, the poor thing seemed to be in agony from the small motions he couldn’t quite stop. Stepping through Void and Time, a journey that was actually pretty unsteady if you weren’t careful? Nope. 

So, a slow journey it was. Through the last of Hotland, to the obnoxious hotel, the Core, and finally the castle. Chara was visibly starting to lag, exhaustion becoming apparent on their face and in their steps. He was considering whether he could carry both humans, when, thankfully, they reached the golden hallway. 

Seeming to have been hit with a last wave of energy, Chara took off, running through the throne room entrance before he could call out. Instinctively he began to lengthen his stride but froze at the quiet sound that the human made. Carefully, he resumed the same, steady glide he had been doing the whole time, resigning to wait until he could catch up. 

Waiting, it turned out, wasn’t actually that long. Not even a minute had gone by when he heard the sounds of clattering footsteps, from multiple feet it seemed. Deciding to just stop where he was (about halfway through the golden hall) he waited for the crowd he could hear coming. 

Bursting from the door was Chara, dragging Queen Toriel behind them, Sans quickly following. As soon as he was spotted, Queen Toriel let out a shocked _bleat_, and moved swiftly to his side, Chara gently moved out of the way. 

“Papyrus, what…” The Queen began, voice lost but hands steady as she immediately began to heal the human he was holding. The human sighed quietly, seeming to relax instantly at the feel of the warm magic. 

“I’m...not really sure, Queen Toriel. We found them in the Lab. They were in some kind of machine, it looks like they’ve been there a really long time.” He said, watching in awe as their skin visibly grew thicker and less translucent in seconds. The gentle green glow of healing magic faded, confusing him as he could tell there was a lot more healing needed. 

“You say...you found them in the Lab?” The Queens's voice was strangely blank, hands pulling back slowly. 

“Yeah. In a hidden room.” He said, voice slowing as he took in the stricken expression that was growing, horror and grief filling red eyes. “Your Majesty, are you...okay?” He asked, the words seeming to not reach the woman, her eyes still locked on the frail body he was holding. 

Soft, thudding, footsteps announced the arrival of Asgore, the quiet man approaching slowly. “Is everything alright?” He asked, voice low and gentle. He took in the scene before him, brows furrowed, and Papyrus knew the moment he spotted the human. Shock filled his features as he crept closer, confused. Until he drew up beside Queen Toriel, and his expression froze, recognition in his eyes.

“_ ...Goldy _?” The word was barely whispered, seemingly forced out of Asgore’s throat unwillingly. It broke Queen Toriel out of her shock, tears filling her eyes and quickly overflowing. 

“_ my child, oh my child….” _ She brokenly whispered, not even reacting when Asgore rested his paw on her shoulder, merely covering her mouth as she began to cry in earnest. 

Through all of this, Sans stood by with Chara, both looking perplexed and scared at seeing the always controlled Queen fall apart. “Papy?” He asked, voice nervous. “What’s going on?” 

“We, uh...Chara, uh… We found her in the Lab, in an area that was concealed with magic.” He started, not sure how to say what he knew, but knowing honesty was the only choice right now. “She was in a tube, filled with magic.” He made eye contact with his brother. “Purple magic.”

Sans gasped loudly, covering his mouth with his hands as he began to shake, bones rattling. “Y-you mean-” He cut himself off, bones rattling even louder. 

Papyrus nodded slowly. “Yeah, bro. It was him.”

“It was Gaster.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! I didn't think I'd get this far, to be honest. I was so nervous about posting anything, not sure what to expect. I'm just glad there are people out there who are enjoying this! Thanks, lovelies, you're making my day :)

##  Chapter 3

_ 'The barrier is broken, the outside world is open to us, and we still have to stay down here.’ _

Papyrus knew the thought was unfair, they couldn't exactly just swarm out of the Underground. The humans would probably react violently or hysterically. Or both. 

Still, he couldn’t help the urge and desire to step out on that cliff once more. Feel the air move around him, feel the warmth of the sun or the chill of the moon. He wanted to experience actual life outside of the barrier so badly, not just that brief time before another reset. 

Chara had promised that this was the last one, that there would be no more resets from now on. They told him that they still had the power, but swore they would only use it in a dire emergency. He knew what kind of emergency they meant: humans re-igniting the war. 

Queen Toriel and Asgore ( _ King _ Asgore, that was a weird thought) had called a meeting of the Eldest. He had honestly thought the Eldest was a useless term, not sure what it even meant. 

_ “The Eldest are those that fought with us in the war and have survived to this day. They are the ones who once knew humanity before hatred soured the peace.” Queen Toriel had explained to him, as they had walked together to find a place for the humans to rest. “None of us wanted war, but we knew what we had to do to survive. And now, we will meet again to discuss what can happen, just as we did then.” _

_ “What if the humans react with violence again?” He had asked. _

_ Something dark flashed in the monarch's eyes, her next words growled quietly. “Then so shall we.” _

He didn’t know what to do with that answer, the words spinning in his mind. Sighing heavily, he slumped in the chair he was sitting on. Drowsy, he shook his head a little to wake up, focusing on the bed in front of him. 

The human looked a little better, after being healed more. Queen Toriel had said something about the healing having to take longer because the human could go into “shock”. He knew the word but wasn’t a hundred percent sure what it meant concerning a human body. But the Queen had seemed quite concerned about it, so he stayed vigilant. Sans had offered to also keep watch over the human, and Papyrus had hesitantly agreed. He knew his brother could be naive, but he also knew his brother could handle himself in a fight and would guard the human without question. 

And Chara….

Well, Chara was currently laying beside the human, curled around them. The teen had been adamant, they refused to leave Goldy’s side. Following him around like a baby Whimsum, impatiently bouncing behind the Queen as she healed them. It only took a second for Chara to climb onto the bed with Goldy, as soon as the Queen left. 

Asgore had accompanied them, a look of disbelief still on his face. Papyrus was sure both Monsters would have stayed here, watching the human breathe if it weren’t for the fact that the Eldest had already begun gathering the moment they had felt the barrier break. 

Both monarchs seemed a mixture of elated, horrified, and broken every time they looked at Goldy. It was more than enough to raise Papyrus’ curiosity and paranoia. Who was Goldy? Why were they in that tube of liquid magic? What did Gaster  _ do? _

His eyes trailed to the hands that were folded over the human's stomach, those circles of bone standing out even more now that their skin had a tint of color. What healing Queen Toriel had done was incredible. While still far too thin, the human no longer resembled, well, him. 

The skin had thickened and darkened a little, a very light golden shade. Their eyes were no longer sunken in so deeply, the face not as tight. What little muscle had been kept was a little more pronounced. It wasn’t a huge difference but was also radically different from the translucent skeleton they had been. 

He couldn’t seem to stop staring at the twin circles, remembering a time so, so long ago. He could still remember the day Gaster had come home from the Lab, both hands bandaged. He had demanded to know what Gaster had done, and all he had said was that he had been working on an old project, one left by the previous Royal Scientist. No matter how hard he pushed, his little brother had refused to say, only telling him it was a sacrifice for the Royal Family, and he had no regrets. 

Looking at the human's hands now, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering. If this was that project, the one “left to him” by the previous Royal Scientist, then it had to do with the Royal Family. And judging by the monarch's reactions, it was something extremely close to home. 

And, judging from those reactions, it had been done without the King and Queens knowledge. 

_ ‘Gaster, just what were you involved in?’ _

Lost in his skull, Papyrus sat there for hours, mind winding through the facts he knew, trying to find the missing pieces that could explain what, exactly, this all meant. 

“Papy?” 

The quiet call snapped him out of it, eye lights focusing on the redhead that was now propped up on one elbow, rubbing their eyes tiredly. “Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?” He asked, reaching out to smooth their hair away from their face. 

Chara made a grumpy face, pushing his hand away in the kind of annoyance only a teen could have. The thought made him smile, remembering the days that both his brothers had gone through that phase. Pulling and pushing away one moment, seeking hugs and encouragement the next. 

“I’m really sleepy. I feel like all my energy is just gone.” Chara mumbled, rubbing at their eyes again. 

“Well,” Papyrus began, thinking. “Technically, we just went through probably a year or two worth of resets, and you never really rested between them.” 

Guilt flashed across their face, turning red as they looked away. Chara didn’t respond, seeming to retreat into their head. 

So, naturally, he flicked them on the forehead. 

“Hey, hey kiddo, enough of that.” He said, ignoring the scathing glare Chara was sending him. “Mistakes were made, bad shit happened. But we still made it here. To the end.” 

Chara seemed to consider his words and nodded slowly. “It’s over…” They whispered, seeming to finally realize the impact of those two words. Tears began to fill red eyes, looking up at him pleadingly. “It’s over?”

Reaching out, he pulled them off the bed and onto his lap, hugging the teen close as they began to sob. The cries were quiet, but the body he was holding was shaking more than a frightened Moldsmol. He rubbed Chara’s back, beginning to hum a lullaby. They sat like that for a while, until the teen's tears began to run dry, and the shaking reduced to nothing. 

Chara’s breathing had evened out, deep and undisturbed. And completely unconscious. 

Chuckling, he shifted the teen in his arms, and let his head hang back, eye sockets closing. Time seemed to slowly tick by, and he took immense joy from it. Every second that ticked forward was another he had never experienced before. 

It’s finally over

\-------------------

The door creaking open was enough to have him on his feet, right hand extended as he continued to hold a now awake Chara against his chest. He felt his right eye start to burn, a clear indicator that his magic was glowing in a warning. All of which stopped when he recognized the figure walking in as Asgore. 

Asgore was waiting patiently in the doorway, not bothered by the apparent threat, just waiting for Papyrus to calm down. Papyrus felt his magic recede, dropping his right hand, wrapping it around Chara, the teen clinging to him.

“Sorry, Asgore.” He said, dropping back into his chair, careful of the small limbs now clutching him. “Guess I’m a little jumpy.” 

Asgore smiled sadly, finally entering the room and shutting the door behind him. “Don’t worry, Papyrus. I understand completely.” There was only one other chair in the room, but one look at its wobbly legs was enough for Asgore to decide against it. Instead, he came close to the bed and crouched. 

Papyrus wasn't sure if he should say anything, the look of incredulous hope on Asgore's face almost heartbreaking. It was the look of a man that had given up on life having suddenly found a reason to try again. 

Chara began wiggling in his grip, kicking a little in a silent demand to be put down. He opened his arms, allowing the teen to jump off his lap. Without warning, they flung themselves at Asgore, wrapping their arms around his neck. Asgore was taken by surprise, nearly losing his balance at the sudden impact. The shock only lasted for a second, before a soft look overtook his face. Asgore was quick to wrap a giant arm around Chara, pulling them into a tight embrace. 

Rubbing the back of his skull, Papyrus looked away from the gentle moment. He wondered if he should leave to give them privacy, but one look at the unconscious human changed his mind. 

Maybe it was because this mess involved his brother, maybe it was because he found them. But the idea of leaving the human alone and defenseless made him grind his teeth. So, instead of leaving, he simply looked away from the two mumblings to each other and looked at the human once more. 

He was glad he did because as soon as his eye lights locked on them, their eyelids began fluttering. 

The human was awake.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, hi guys. Sorry about the obnoxiously long gap in updates, but since the last chapter, I have moved across the country (Utah to Kansas), had to settle into a new home, been hospitalized, adopted a cat, and am about to have surgery in about a week! All while battling depression and some major black holes in my motivation to write. But I am forcing myself past that because I couldn't forget about those who have left kudos/comments. 
> 
> So, thank you to those who did that, you keep me coming back and fighting for motivation. This chapter may be super short, but I wanted to get something out there for you all!

Chapter 4

Everything hurt.

There was a word to explain this much hurt, but they weren’t sure what it was. Pen? Pan? Something like that. They tried to open their eyes, the movement so slow they weren’t sure it was even happening. The light was darker than before, but it wasn’t the floating light. They weren’t floating anymore? A cold hand touched their own and their body jolted without their permission.

“Hey, it’s okay. Just me again.” The deep voice from before spoke, the familiarity instantly making her relax. The cold hand on theirs shifted until it was holding their hand. It wasn’t like the small, warm hand that had held theirs while leaving the floating-place. But it was still so familiar.

“Dc-tr” Silence, the cold hand tightening. Then, “Sorry, sweetheart. Still not the doctor. He’s been gone a really long time.”

Gone? How could he be gone? He promised...promised… What did he promise again?

“Goldy?” This voice is much, much deeper. And that word… ‘Goldy? Why does that...why do I remember that word?’ Finally, they forced their eyes open fully, everything blurry. Turning their head towards the voices, barely tilting before wincing in that hurt again. They could make out a curve of white, the shape getting bigger and coming closer as the person(?) moved.

Pale, pale white with black holes. A face? Yes, a face. The Doctor had a face like this, didn’t he? But the Doctor was gone. So who had his face? “It’s okay sweetheart, don’t move too much. You’re probably pretty stiff and in pain.”

Pain, yes, that was the word. That was the hurt word.

They stared at the Doctor-not-Doctor until movement had their gaze flicking away. Standing to the side is a child, red hair hitting their chin, bright spots of color on their cheeks. Wide red eyes are staring at them as the child shifts from side to side. Blinking slowly, they stared into each other's eyes, that shade of red making a shiver go down their spine.

‘Frisk? No, not Frisk. But those eyes… Those eyes are Frisky’s.’ They thought, hand twitching under the Not-Doctor’s hand. The Not-Doctor tightened his grip on their hand, so they tried to wiggle it again until eventually he got the idea and let go. So slowly, and so painfully, they raised their hand and reached for the child. Both the Not-Doctor and child looked shocked, but it didn’t stop the child from stepping forward and taking their hand. That warmth and that feeling were so familiar, they instantly recognized it from before.

“Th...nk...oo.” They forced out, staring into those red eyes. The child stared back, their eyes beginning to turn shiny. ‘Wet eyes, that means….sad?’ As tears began dripping down the child’s face, they grew confused. ‘Why sad?’ “Nno...cr,” Their voice broke, eyes closing for a moment in pain. In that moment of no sight, they felt a small body carefully curl over them, hair tickling their chin. Carefully raising their other hand, they set it on the child’s head. This position, it felt so familiar, and so far away. Like it hadn’t happened in so long. It had to be before the floating time, so so long ago. How long ago?

“I’m so sorry,” the child whispered. “It took a lot of tries to get you, I’m sorry.” They patted the child’s head, throat hurting from trying to talk. They weren’t sure if there was a way to reassure the redhead until they could talk and move again, to let them know it was okay. That, yes, they felt the tries, but they were out now, and that’s what mattered.

“Hey kiddo,” The Not Doctor said, “I’m pretty sure they are just happy to be out now.”

“Indeed.” This voice was deep, so deep, and so familiar. Why was it so familiar? Why did hearing it make them want to smile and cry? There was a shuffling noise, and suddenly a large white shape appeared beside the bed. It was much larger and so...furry? Fur, yes, that was the word. They were mostly certain that the furry white being was a male, with large horns and...golden...eyes…

A flash of memory overtook them, superimposing an image of a happy, grinning male, with a much smaller being hanging off the large horns. The memory fading, they squinted at the monster (Monster?) and slowly a word surfaced in their mind. “D...da?” They managed to get out, the syllables dragged out awkwardly. It was still a recognizable word, as evidenced by the sudden tears running into the Monsters fur, his large hands covering his mouth. Flicking their gaze to the Not Doctor, he looked shocked, mouth hanging open. The small body on top of theirs had also jerked up, red eyes staring at them in surprise.

Finally, the fluffy Monster (Dad…? He was dad, right?) seemed to gather himself, letting out a wet chuckle, wiping at his eyes. He reached out to place his hand on their head, much like they were doing to the child, the soft fur brushing against their bare head. The sensation was soothing and familiar, something in them relaxing at the feeling.

“Goldy…” The Monster whispered, stroking their head gently. “I never thought... Never imagined…” His voice broke, as more tears slipped out of gold eyes.

They watched him cry in confusion (What happened? Why?) when another memory floated up, of matching white fur and red eyes, not quite like Frisky, but close. “Mmmm...mma?” They slurred out, growing frustrated with their inability to speak.

Dad closed his eyes, taking a slow breath, before opening them and smiling gently. “She’s busy right now, talking to the Elders. But she’ll be here as soon as she can.” Goldy nodded a little, suddenly feeling exhausted.

The child was staring at them still, something curious in those red eyes. They also seemed to notice Goldy wearing down, and crawled onto the bed, making themselves comfy on Goldy’s chest. “It’s sleepy time, dad.” The child said playfully, and Dad chuckled, stroking Goldy’s head one last time before pulling back. He paused to poke the child’s nose, both giggling.

Goldy’s eyes were barely open at this point, focus turning to the Not Doctor. He seemed to notice immediately, leaning in. “You need to rest, honey. Your body needs the energy to heal.” ‘Heal? Heal what? Were they injured?’ The thoughts came and went, lost in the exhaustion overtaking their body. They struggled to hold on, forcing their eyes to open. “Ss- stay. Pleez.” They stubbornly waited for the Not Doctor to nod his agreement, before giving in to their body’s gentle calls to sleep.

\-------------

The three stayed quiet, watching the human breathe deeply as they fell asleep. Chara closed their eyes, content being able to hear the heartbeat beneath their ear. Papyrus watched this amusedly, glancing at Asgore. Asgore was looking at the two with such love and affection, Papyrus again felt like he may be intruding on something.

A quiet knock at the door had all three snapping to attention, even Chara opened their eyes and glared at the source of the noise. Asgore rose to his feet, brushing off his knees, and went to answer the door. “Oh, hello there!” Asgore said, the pleasant tone relaxing the other two a little. “What can I do for you?”

“Hello, King Asgore! Queen Toriel is asking for you and my brother to go to the throne room!” The excitable voice had both Papyrus and Chara grinning, the latter deciding to close their eyes and go back to resting. Papyrus, on the other hand, took the moment to stand and stretch his bones, a few clicking back into place from sitting still for so long.

Asgore had moved out of the way, a blue blur rushing past him and to Papyrus’ side. “PAPY!” He yelled, but quickly caught himself, covering his mouth and looking at the sleeping humans. “Sorry, Papy.” He tried again, in a regular speaking level. “But Queen Toriel says she really needs you in the throne room, right away.”

Papyrus sighed dramatically. “I don’t know, Sansy. I’m bone-tired right now. You sure I have to go?”

“Yes, Papy.” The lack of reaction to the well-used pun sharpened his attention. Sans seemed excited, but Papyrus could read uncertainty and was that… fear, in his eyes? “There are humans here. They say they are mages and want to talk to the King and Queen.” Asgore gasped, and Papyrus straightened from his slouch. “Queen Toriel needs you there. She says she needs the Judge.”


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Three humans were waiting on the mountain ledge, just outside of where the barrier had been. Two were wearing what looked like ceremonial robes, clutching wooden staffs as they trembled. Their faces were stoic, but Papyrus could read the anxiety both were feeling. 

The third was between them, looking out of place in a delicate white dress, a wide, ecstatic grin across her face. She seemed to be fairly vibrating in place, visibly holding herself back. She was also noticeably younger than the other two.

As Judge and Executioner, Papyrus had been the first to step out and meet the strangers. He stared them down, eyes beginning to get warm, his eye lights shining orange and gold. The two with staffs visibly stiffened, one starting to pull their staff forward, but was quickly stopped by the girl raising a hand. Making note of the movement, Papyrus let his focus drop, the world turning black and white outside of the glowing light of the three souls before him. 

Both guards (he was assuming that was their purpose) had EXP, which put him on edge, but the numbers were fairly low. The one on the right had a green soul that was only just barely shadowed with the darkness of his EXP, showing that the number was likely caused by self-defense. The other one, however, had a sickly yellow shade that looked diseased, his higher LV and EXP count obvious in the dirty color. He may not have much, but Papyrus could tell from one look exactly what this one was like. 

The girl was an entirely different story. She had zero LV and EXP, and her soul shined a brilliant, light blue. It seemed to match the innocent excitement she was expressing. He wasn’t going to forget how easily she had made the guard stand down, though. 

Keeping his eyes on their souls, he snapped his fingers, making the two guards jump. “You,” He pointed at the girl, “and you.” He pointed to the green soul. “You two may come through.” 

The second guard appeared offended, and stepped forward, ignoring the calming hand of the girl. “And who are you to decide who is allowed in! We were chosen by our coven to represent our kind!” 

“Your kind has done enough damage, wouldn’t you say?” Papyrus growled. The guard blanched, not sure how to respond. The girl turned towards the angry guard, her hand reaching up to the top of the guard's staff where a small, glowing stone was hidden amongst the wood. With a flick of her wrist, the stone was removed from the staff, the light extinguishing. 

The guard was now gaping, anger quickly filling his eyes. “Y-your highness, why would you?”

“Silence.” The girl's voice was soft but commanding, the slashing look she sent the guard enough to snap his mouth shut. Her chin lifted, and Papyrus could instantly recognize her posture, the controlled dignity, and the regality she exuded confirming the title ‘your highness’. It was quite similar to Queen Toriel, actually. “You have been Met and Judged, and found wanting. You spoke out, ignoring the law of silence the guard is to have when on duty. And whatever this monster was able to See, has marked you as unworthy.” Her eyes narrowed in warning as the man seemed to be trying to speak up. “It makes me wonder about all those rumors that go missing as soon as they appear.” The man paled further. 

With a snap of her fingers, Papyrus watched in fascination as the robes the guard was wearing seemed to pull away and melt off his form, vanishing before they could touch the ground. The man was left wearing slacks and a casual shirt, the horror on his face the perfect touch to make Papyrus want to burst out laughing. Without another word, the girl turned back to Papyrus, smile once again brightening. 

“I’m so sorry about that!” She said, stepping forward and performing a graceful curtsy. “Allow me to introduce us. My name is Candace, I am the current High Mage of the Court. This,” she gestured to the remaining guard, who quickly performed a perfunctory bow. “Is one of my personal guards, Lyle. It is a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Judge of the Crown.” 

Papyrus allowed his magic to fade, a browbone arching in curiosity. “How did you know?” 

She seemed to understand immediately, smiling playfully with her arms folded behind her back. “That you are the Judge? Easy. Who else would they send out first to confront the strange Mages at the door, that they could trust implicitly to advise on the safety of the meeting and be able to defend themselves in case of an attack?” 

Nodding in agreement, Papyrus stepped to the side and gestured to the entrance. Taking the hint, the girl began walking, her guard staying close. Following behind them, not willing to show his back, he watched them closely for any other movement. 

Stepping into the first chamber, both mages froze at the group of Monsters waiting within. Stepping up behind them, Papyrus glanced at his brother and Alphys, both standing at attention, Undyne fidgeting behind them. Giving a small nod, the three instantly relaxed a little. 

Alphys and Sans both stepped forward, his brother already gaining stars in his eyes in excitement. Alphys was still visibly suspicious, posture stiff. Undyne just looked nervous, as usual. Without a word, Alphys and Sans moved to flank the mages, escorting them through the tunnel and into the throne room. 

To his surprise, both thrones were set out, rather than having one covered by a sheet in the back. Both were also occupied, and a moment of anxiety made him pause. 

If Asgore and Sans were here, who was with Chara and Goldy?

Not letting his hesitation show, he kept walking behind the mages, coming to a halt at the right of Queen Toriel’s throne, one step behind it. Alphys and Sans guided the mages to the front of the thrones, still standing to either side at attention. 

Without missing a beat, Candace dropped into a low curtsy, head lowered. Her guard followed, giving a stiff bow. Standing tall again, Candace smiled brightly. 

“It is an honor and pleasure to meet you, your Majesties. My name is Candace Masters, High Mage of the Court. It is with deepest apologies and excitement that I welcome you once more to the Surface.” Both mages dropped into a deep bow and curtsy once more, this time not rising until Queen Toriel raised a paw. 

The Queen smiled gently, nodding. “It is a joy to be free. I am Toriel, Queen of Monsters.” With a delicate motion, she gestured to Asgore. “This is Asgore, my bonded. Besides you are Alphys, Captain of the Royal Guard, and Sans, Royal Guardsman. And you’ve met our Judge, Papyrus.” He gave a lazy wave. “I must ask, you seem quite young to be High Mage. How old are you?” 

Candace giggled, rocking on her heels. “I’m 22, your Majesty. I inherited the position when the last High Mage passed away unexpectedly.” A flash of sadness and grief overtook her expression before she shook her head a little and smiled. 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Asgore rumbled. Candace nodded, smiling a little brighter. “You must be quite skilled, being chosen at such a young age.” 

Giggling again, she shrugged. “You could say that.” 

Toriel cleared her throat, drawing attention back to her. “Talent aside, I’m sure you can understand our current concerns. Being free at last, we will not accept being trapped any longer.” Voice hardening, Toriel folded her paws in her lap, staring down the young woman. 

Shoulders moving back, Candace nodded, eyes becoming sharper. “Have no fear, Queen Toriel. The war was long ago, and unjust. In repentance, you have my word as High Mage that the Mage Council will assist your people in settling on the surface.” 

Papyrus shifted his weight, just enough to get the Queen’s attention. A quick glance and Toriel nodded, permitting him to speak. 

“How can you be sure the rest of the Mages will agree?” Candace’s smile dropped completely. 

“They will. And if they refuse, they will be cast out of the Court and stripped of their abilities.” Silence reigned for a few moments in shock, even the guard beside Candace looked surprised and vaguely nauseous. 

“Papyrus.” Snapping to attention, he turned towards the Queen. “If you could please gather the Eldest, they should be here for this. And after, please check on Chara.” Nodding, Papyrus chose to walk out of the throne room rather than skipping, not feeling like revealing that particular ability to the Mages. 

He found the four Eldest in the library, gathered around a table and talking quietly. Grillby and Muffet both looked to him immediately, expressions blank. Gerson was a bit slower, the large turtle monster focusing on him as well. To Papyrus’ surprise, the Flowey who ran the Flower Shop was on the table. 

“Queen asked for you.” Shoving his hands in his pockets he let himself slouch a bit, moving to the side as the four Monsters stood and went past him.

Muffet patted his shoulder with one of her many arms, Grillby copying the motion. Gerson nodded sagely and Flowey raised himself with his vines to headbutt Papyrus’ arm. As they turned left to head towards the throne room, Papyrus went right, turning the next corner he saw and skipping to the bedroom door. 

Knocking softly, he pushed the door open. Chara was still curled up next to Goldy, both out cold. Sitting to the side of the bed were Dogami and Dogaressa, both sitting at attention and watching the door. When they recognized it was him, both visibly relaxed, axes being lowered to the ground once more. 

Nodding to the two guard dogs, Pap focused his attention to the sleeping humans. Looked like they hadn’t moved since he left. Glancing at the dogs again he gave them a grin and tilted his head to the door. Both dogs nodded in sync, standing and propping their axes on opposite shoulders so they could hold hands. 

Papyrus waited for them to leave the room first, taking a glance at the sleeping figures. Following the dogs, he softly closed the door behind him. “Status?” He asked, grinning as both guards stood at attention. 

“The strange puppies didn’t wake up.” 

(“Nobody tried to enter the room either.”)

Sighing in relief, he reached out and gave both dogs a soft pet. Both gave a small bark, before turning and walking away, still holding hands. 

Smile dropping, Papyrus sighed heavily, shoulders slumping. Exhaustion was weighing heavily on him, making his vision fuzzy. He leaned back against the door for a moment, breathing deeply as he tried to focus. It took a minute, but he felt a bit steadier. Turning, he opened the door and entered the room, not exactly surprised to see red eyes staring at him. 

“What are you doing awake, kiddo? You need to rest.” Approaching the bed, he took in the still tired eyes of Chara, and the unconscious Goldy. Reaching out to ruffle Chara’s hair, he was surprised when the teen grabbed his hand and tugged him close. Stumbling a bit, he caught himself and was able to keep his footing against the second tug. “What are ya doing, kid?” 

Chara huffed, rolling their eyes. “You need to sleep too, bonehead.” Giving another sharp tug, Papyrus finally understood. 

“Kid, no.” He tried to pull his hand back, but couldn’t break Chara’s grip without possibly hurting them. “I gotta keep watch.” 

Chara groaned dramatically, sitting up fully. “No, you need to sleep! So, set up a wall of blue bones, and take a damn nap!” Sockets widening, Papyrus couldn’t help the snort that came out of him. 

“Shit, kid, where’d you learn that language?” Chara rolled their eyes again, this time more amused than anything. Tugging at his hand again, he sighed in defeat. “Fine, fine, stop trying to pull my arm off.”

Grinning, Chara let go and proceeded to carefully crawl over Goldy, the older human not even twitching. Once settled between Goldy and the wall, Chara pointed at the now empty space at the edge of the bed. Sighing dramatically again, Papyrus slowly stretched out on the bed on his side, back to the two humans so he could face the door. With a small gesture, he summoned a line of blue bones, carefully placing them in a curve around the bed, only enough space between to see through. Even that small action made his vision fuzzy again, making him realize just how drained he was. The kid was right, he needed a nap. 

Double-checking he had enough magic reserves to keep the wall up while he slept, he felt a small hand grab the back of his hoodie. Smiling softly, he tucked his left arm under his head, and finally let his sockets close. Sleep came swift, with the warmth of one human behind him, and the grip of the other grounding him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you say it, I know, the Underswap Universe has the bunnies as the guard, not the dogs. But listen, I had the chance to use the term "guard dogs" and giggle, so you best believe I took advantage of that. 
> 
> Thank you, everyone, for your support. Surgery is in two days (got pushed off because of quarantine) and I am excited and scared. Hopefully, it all goes well. 
> 
> In other news, I started a new story that I've been working in between writing this one, and am gonna post the first chapter of it tonight as well. Check it out!


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